Nervous Much?
by orpsgod
Summary: James and Elizabeth fluffy little thing. AU plot bunny that held me at gun..er..carrot point and forced me to write. Please read and comment.


Nervous much?

No William Turner here, just James, Elizabeth and a bit of AU. But what's that among friends, aye?

Cut to James….

He stood facing the door, the hand that had covered only half the distance to the door latch trembling in such a manner it clearly would be of little use in the mission it had been sent to undertake. The offending appendage was soundly retreated; all the way around to the man's back, where it was met, firmly clasped, and given a reprimanding shake by the other hand. A huff escaped the man's lips, soft yet leaving no doubt as to the level of irritation building in the man. By the stars, he was thirty-two years old, a Commodore and the main British Naval Authority in this region, hardly a virgin although true most of his sexual encounters had been few and long ago, and this was his WEDDING NIGHT. He should not be standing here trembling with nerves like some untried inexperienced lad, not to mention the fact that the woman he loved more than life itself was waiting for him on the other side of this door. Doing his best to set his mental state akin to one he used before going into battle he willed himself to put an end to the confounded nervousness and shaking, although as he reached for the latch his hand, as well as the rest of his body, mutinously refused to fully comply.

Cut to Elizabeth…..

She stood in front of the mirror nervously assessing the image reflecting back. Should she fasten her hair up or leave it down? Perhaps a flower or hair ornament arranged just so? Would James think her too improper dressed only in her night shift? Perhaps she should put her dress back on, or a robe. Yes, maybe the green one she bought because it reminded her of those lovely eyes of his, or the intricately embroidered one that had been made in Singapore. With a huff she stomped her foot in frustration, she was letting her nerves, and allowing all this second guessing, to get the better of her. Since she had been a child she had always gone after, and had usually gotten, what she wanted, and she had wanted James Lysander Norrington since the first time she had set eyes on him in all his Lieutenant's glory on the deck of the Dauntless. She could sense from the first, by his comportment and deportment, he would probably go far up the ranks of the Navy and made sure he had no choice but to notice her. They had become friends, or as much friends as propriety would allow a young lass, Governor's daughter or not, and a Lieutenant in the British Navy to be, and over the years she had made it her goal to make sure it turned into much more than that. And now here she was, Mrs. Commodore James Lysander Norrington and blast and be damned if she was going to let a case of nerves spoil her WEDDING NIGHT!

Cut to the Chase (metaphorically speaking that is)…..

She turned as she heard the door open, and the first thing she noticed was how nervous James appeared to be. Funny, she hadn't even considered the fact that he might be nervous. She had rarely seen him be anything but fully in control of himself. Even the scant few times she had managed to cajole and eventually convince a very hesitant James to slip off with her to be alone somewhere he had maintained most of that control, and what she had hoped would turn into more passionate encounters went no farther than a few embraces and a few kisses. Although upon remembrance of a handful of those kisses she couldn't deny they definitely conveyed the passion that was locked up inside the man and made her all the more determined to arrange more 'alone time' between them in the future.

The second thing she noticed was the way his eyes told her she could be standing there in a gunny sack and he would still think her the most desirable creature on earth.

X

He nervously stepped through the door and his breath caught in his chest. She stood there illuminated by candle light and moonbeams and the beauty of the scene took his breath away. He couldn't have moved a muscle if the whole of Port Royal had suddenly been declared under attack by all the Spanish or French or Pirate crews in the Caribbean he was so taken by the sight.

"James?"

He struggled to breath again, to force himself out of the enchantment, the spell that had taken over his body.

"Elizabeth." Was all he could manage, his tone amounting to no more than a whisper.

"James? James are you all right?" She asked, a bit worried by the absolute stillness of the man. The thought that maybe she had been wrong about being able to stand there in a gunny sack crossed her mind. Perhaps he _was _offended by the forwardness of her standing there in only her shift. He certainly wasn't acting like a man about to consummate his marriage.

"Yes…no….yes." James replied, still frozen, still unable to manage more than a whisper.

Elizabeth looked away in embarrassment, crossing her arms over her chest, "If I've offended you, appear improper to you…I just thought… I thought…." She looked at the floor as she turned toward her closet, "I apologize James, I'll go get my robe."

"No Elizabeth," Came out a bit more loudly than he had intented as he took a step toward her, the spell he had been under broken by the realization that he'd unwittingly embarrassed her, caused her discomfort. Then in a quieter tone, as she turned to face him and he caught her eye he tipped his head a bit to the side and gave her a contrite smile, "I owe the apology here."

She gave a dejected gesture with her arms, "I just thought it being our wedding night and all…..and some of my married friends said……. and well I thought you might like it if I…..if I…." She watched as James' contrite smile was rapidly growing into one that was much more of an amused one, and that she was doing naught but babbling and making more of a fool of herself than she had already done she gave an angry stamp of her foot and finished with a "Oh bloody buggerin Hell!"

"Indeed!" he said, the more than a bit amused grin still on his face as he quickly closed the distance between them and took her in his arms, "I hardly think that a proper phrasing of words for a Commodore's wife to be using." Then with a chuckle as he nuzzled her ear, "But as I recall you've never really been one to conform to propriety now have you?"

As she leaned into him and smiled she said, "I think, if I'm not mistaken, that is one of my many traits you find so alluring, and aren't really so against me expressing from time to time."

He pulled his head back to look down at her, and in his most Commodore-ly tone, although his expression held more than a trace of humor he said, "As long as you express them at the proper time, not let us say, should we happen to be dining with some dignitary. Do I make myself clear?"

She smiled a most mischievous smile as she ran her hands up under his shirt and replied, "I guess that will just have to wait to be seen now won't it."

The End

Comments are Appreciated


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